Hiya everybody!

So today, I’m gonna make a thread about ableism and it will mainly be centered around the slurs that have been deeply ingrained in our society that many of us don’t even realize we’re using.

First, I wanna say that I’m not calling you an all-out ableist for using these words, especially if you’re using them without knowing they’re ableist slurs. Please don’t get offended or defensive! This is meant to educate and help us all out.

I’m going to only be including words/slurs that I’ve seen many people use, slurs that have been deeply ingrained in society. Obviously, we all know the slur “r*tard” (and other words ending in –tard, such as f*cktard) isn’t acceptable, so I won’t be including it in this thread.

I’ve gotten much of this information from http://autistichoya.com , they get all the credit for compiling the information of each slur, its meaning, and replacement words! Please check out their site!

Just to put it out there, I was horrible when I was told that all these words were offensive. I thought people were overreacting & nitpicking & immediately became defensive and extremely, shamefully dismissive. I'm honestly ashamed of how long it took me to change.

So, if you feel like you need to defend yourself or feel like this is just an overreaction, I get where you’re coming from. But, after some time, I realized how cruel I was being by carrying on talking like that and changed. So I hope that others reading this will do the same.

Many of these words are going to seem ridiculous at first and I’m already prepared for the “this isn’t ableist! It’s a common word!”. Let me tell you now, that that’s the point of this thread; to hopefully educate people on the ableism that we don’t realize we’re contributing to.

At the end of this thread, I will provide a list of replacement words that I have found helped me better my language. Again, that list of words is from http://austistichoya.com  (specifically, this article: https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html)

So now we can begin

· Blind (as in: Go in Blind / blinded by) – refers to blind, low-vision, or sight-limited people.

(Let me explain this real quick. It’s important not to use disabilities as metaphors. Say what you mean! +

+ Don’t say “go in blind” but rather “go in without knowing what’s coming” or “I didn’t notice thanks to x”. This also goes for saying a bigot is “tone deaf” or “blind to their actions” and any other variation. Stop associating negativity with disability.)

· Crazy - refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities
· Dumb/Dumbass – refers to people with intellectual disabilities
· Idiot/Idiotic – refers to people with intellectual disabilities
· Insane – refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities

· Lame – refers to people with physical or mobility disabilities
· Lunatic – refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities
· Maniac – refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities
· Moron/Moronic – refers to people with intellectual disabilities

· Nuts – refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities
· Psycho/Psychotic/Psychopath/Psycopathic – refers to people with mental or psychiatric disabilities
· Spaz/Spazzed out – refers to people with cerebral palsy or similar neurological disabilities

· Special Needs – refers to people with learning, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. Can also refer to any person with a disability. IT’S OKAY TO SAY DISABLED!!!!!
· Stupid – refers to people with intellectual disabilities

A list of replacement words are further down

I know there will be people that will say they know so & so who thinks these words aren’t ableist; proximity to disabled people doesn’t mean you can speak for them. Do not use your proximity/relation to a disabled person as a shield or “actually they say it’s okay to say this”.

A vast majority of the disabled community do find these words offensive and we should respect that and better our language! (even if there are a few disabled people who don’t see the point in correcting ableist language and thoughts)

And it doesn’t just stop there! This is just a small stepping stone when battling ableism and its sad normalization in our society.

Other forms of ableism that need to be addressed are:

· The belief that one is superior to another due to perceived intelligence. I hate that I’ve seen people being put down for not “knowing enough” or how people treat me like dirt because, to them, I’m not educated enough/college educated.

· The use of disabled bathroom stalls by abled people! I understand that there are disabled people who don’t look disabled, but there have been many instances where I accompany my mom to the restroom & she struggles in the small stall because a woman w 3 kids took the “big stall”

· The use of disabled parking spaces by people who aren’t disabled. Again, I know there are people who don’t look disabled. I’m referring to those that don’t have disability stickers/plates & just want a space next to the door.

Or those that park on the space with lines specifically for disabled people to get out of their cars. Don’t be that asshole that takes away from disabled people. Please.

· DO NOT police people you think aren’t disabled! If you see someone move their legs, get out of their wheelchair, walk, do anything you think makes them “not disabled” or “just faking”, just shut up. You don’t know their life or their disability.

· Valuing someone based on perceived intelligence. You’re a right pos if you treat someone who you think is “super genius smart” like a god then the person who you think is “just a little dumb” like dirt

· Phrases like “not the sharpest tool in the shed” or “not the brightest color in the crayon box”! These are also instances where we showcase our ableism to put people we perceive to have lower intelligence down.

· Honestly, perceived intelligence in and of itself! It perpetuates the ableist belief that some people are st*pid and others are superior because they’re “not”. I know I’m repeating myself but I need to get this point across.

(I've reached my thread limit, more to come!)

here's the continuation of my thread! https://twitter.com/malfoysheirs/status/1013980737559760897